Kizomba in Dubai

Benita Adesuyan puts her dancing shoes and discovers the art of kizomba

By
Holly Sands
14 July 2015

The promiseThe kizomba class at La Porte Des Indes aims to introduce newcomers to the dance form and teach the basic steps. Originating from Angola, it’s danced with a partner and combines traditional Angolan rhythms with Caribbean zouk. Step by stepOur instructor, Tony, gives the group a brief introduction to kizomba, explaining its origins, and then lines us up with men on one side and ladies on the other. Tony demonstrates how the moves should look and shows the men how to lead. He shows the ladies their part and then walks us through the first steps, explaining the rhythm of the music, counting the beats and how to perform the steps with our partners. We practise each set of moves on our own before trying it with a partner. Tony breaks down each move before combining them all together into a short routine.

The resultThe class lasts around an hour and by the end of it, we’ve learnt the first four foundation steps of this dance. And we feel a real sense of achievement when we manage to keep up with the routine without stepping on our partner’s toes. Ladies definitely need to know how to flex their hips.

Pros• Tony is a very good dancer and breaks the moves down into easy-to-follow steps.• There’s a good ratio of men to women so you don’t end up without a partner.• Dancers can practise after the class.